CBI registers case relating to train accident involving Coromandel Express, Yashwantpur-Howrah Express, Goods train in Odisha

Balasore (Odisha) [India], June 6 (ANI): Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case on request of Ministry of Railways, consent of Odisha Government and further orders from DoPT (Government of India) relating to train accident involving Coromandel Express, Yashwantpur-Howrah Express and a Goods train at Bahanaga Bazar in Odisha on June 2.

A CBI team reached Balasore on Tuesday. CBI has taken over the investigation of the case earlier registered at Balasore GRPS, District Cuttack(Odisha) vide GRPS Case No.64 dated 03.06.2023 regarding the said accident.
Earlier, Odisha Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified persons under multiple sections of the Railway Act 1989 and Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection to the Odisha train accident.

According to the FIR Report, the case has been registered under sections 154, 175, and 153 of the Railway Act and under sections 337, 338, 304 A, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

“On 03.06.2023 at 01.00 AM, I Sub Inspector Papu Kumar Naik at Chaklundapal, Police station Turununga, Dist Keojhar, At/Pre-SI of Police Balasore GRPS drew up the plain paper FIR at the PS on 02.06.2023 at 06.55 PM due to collision between Train No-12841 Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express and Train No-12864 Yesbantapur-Howrah Express, the Boggies of both trains capsized causing death more than hundred and injuries to several hundreds of passengers,” FIR read.

“The dead body and injured person were shifted to DHH Balasore, DHH Bhadrak, CHC Soro and other Hospital rescue operations continuing. This report reveals a coge case, Balasore GRPS Case No-64, dated 03.06.2023 under sections 337/338/304A /34 IPC /153/154/175 Railway Act, his registered and requested to Ranjeet Nayak OPS SDRPO Cuttack has taken off the investigation,” it added.

FIR report also mentioned that at present culpability of specific Railway Employees is not ascertained, which will be unearthed during the investigation.

Earlier today, a 10-member CBI team reached the site of train accident in Odisha’s Balasore on Tuesday as part of its investigations into the tragedy that took place on June 2 and resulted in death of 275 people.

The CBI is probing the accident that involved two passenger and a goods train.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said on Sunday said that the Railway Board had recommended a CBI probe into the tragic accident.

The minister had also said that the accident occurred due to a “change in electronic interlocking”.

Electronic interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that facilitates safe movement of a train through an arrangement of tracks.

The aim of this system is that no train gets the signal to proceed unless the route is safe.

The Railways is also conducting a probe into the accident.

The three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods trains on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Balasore district.